Printer&#39;s blanket or the like



Oct. 14, 1930.

IAF. E. DE VRIES 1,778,185

PRINTERS BLANKET OR THE LIKE Filed May 15, 1929 END COAT RESIN WITH FILLE /JT COAT RESIN f; FELT INM lo l PARTICLES K SOLID PART/CLES,

METAL, F/LLER.

RUBBER on conn refs/N conf/va if?? l A @a RESIN BINDER bRESILIE/VT f* PART/CLES zz/el/ff @72120 E e Vue5,

, Patented Oct. 14,

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE "FENNO E. DE VRIES, OF EVANSTON,

OF NEW YORK Application led May 15,

The present invention relates generally to printers blankets, and has particular reference to hat'typfe of blanket which is used on the impression roll of printing presses.

Impression surfaces of printers blankets are preferred with a coating thereon which is oil-proof and ink-proof, that is, which is nonadhesive to ink so that there is no off-setting effect therefrom. This is particularly no- '0 ticeable in the second impression roll of a rotary press such as those on which newspapers are printed. In this field the web of paper passes over a first impression roll an'd the outside of the web is printed from the first type roll. It thenpasses while still wet with ink so that the inked side passes over a second impression roll in order that the blank side of the web may be printed. The second impression roll should resist and repel the wet ink. so that it will not adhere and transfer tothe paper on the next revolution. In addition, the blankets require certain degrees of firmness and resiliency which are well known tothe art, and many types of blankets are known which meet these requirements. The present invention has reference particularly to the coating or impression surface, and provides a new materialfor the purpose, Which'may be used on any existing blanket, or which may be used in new types of blankets permitted by the use of the new composition coating. Accordingly, the present invention is not to be considered as limited to the coat- 4 ing composition herein disclosed by way of exemplifying the invention, but is to be considered in its broadest aspect as presented in the following description of the invention,

and as expressed in the appended claims. My invention dependsupon the formation chemically in situ of a coating or surfacepresenting composition in connection with printersblankets and like materials. Broadly my invention comprises the application of substances which are capable of reaction in situ to form a surface-presenting composition whichhas the desired properties. In practicing the invention I employ such substances as 'are capable of being applied or manipulated in`apotentially reactive form, andA which nant, and there reacted to form a ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, fr0 'VULCAN PROOFING COMPANY, INC., 0F BROOKLYN,

NEW YORK, A CORPORATION IPRIN'IERS BLANKET ORVTHE LIKE 1929. serial No. 363,298.r

can be reacted in situ to form a new product having the desired properties.

All material which is used in a blanket must have a flexibility sufcient to permit handling the blanket, to permit Wrapping it. around an impression cylinder, to permit bending it to secure it to the cylinder, to form a suitable cushion during the period of impression. The coating must be tough, sufliciently hard,- and durable, and as said above, it must be 'oil proof and ink-repellent, when no other cover is employed. It is a custom in the art to use a draw sheet over a roll, when a coating on the blanket does not have all the desirable properties. Therefore, in setting forth this invention I do not intend to limit it to the use of compositions which provide all the desirable properties, but I do claim that it permits and provides for the use of a ymaterial which is capable of imparting all the above mentioned desirable properties to a printers blanket, so that it may be used directly without additional means.

The primary object of the invention is the use in forming a printers blanketof/a potentially reactivesubstance which is capable of reaction in situ to form a component part of the blanket.

Another object of the invention is the use of such a substance in liquid or viscous form, which can be placed in the structure as a cement, as a coating, or as an impregsolid flexible product.

Still another object of the invention is the provisionof a coating composition which can be applied in potentially reactive -form and which is reactive to form a solid fiexiblecoating having all the properties above mentioned as desirable ones for printers blankets.

It is another object ofthe invention to elnploy compositions which upon reaction form synthetic resins, and to modify the composition to modify the physical properties of the resin as desired. I

It is a particular object of the invention to use a phenol-condensation product in di-Q rect or modified form'which upon reaction sired.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a rubber faced blanket with a nonpeeling, oil proof coatingformed in situ.

Variousl other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of a number of v printers blankets and compositions therefore which are disclosed herein, having reference to the accompanying drawings.

It is well known thatrubber is damaged by use as an impression surface in printers blankets. To obviate this difiiculty and to eliminate the use of a draw-sheet over rubber blankets, and, also overvcork and felt blankets, it has been the practice to provide the blanket itself .with an oil-proofcoatin-g. Such coatings are known which are also inkrepellent, such as oxidized vegetable loils applied to the blanket, .l and nitrocellulose films modified with an emollient such as castor oil. These compositions are usually applied as'plastic masses which dry in place, or from solutions in volatile solvents which evaporate and leave a residue. Such :coatings are subject to peeling, are not entirely fiexible and impervious to oils and ink solvents, and are gradually affected ,by vthe solvent action of the ink and will crack when bent, permitting the ink to soak into the felt.

' layer may be placed on the base.

Accordingly they break down after a period of use. They` may first weaken in spots or pin holes, permitting the oil of the vink to penetra-te into the felt, cork or' rubber base which is beneath the coating'. For this reason it has been a practice to place a fabric face layer over the resilient base, so that after the' coating has broken down the fabric face layer may be peeled ofi' and a new fabric face Such a protective face layer does not outlive thebase. Because of the fact that the blanket is used or is usable for a period after apslight breakdown,'the fabric face' layer has been cemented to the cushion by an oil-proof -cement which holds back oil that may leak through the lbroken down protective face layer.

The present invention in i-ts preferred aspect, as hereinafter described, permits thel formation of a coating in si-tu which is totally insoluble and impenetrable, and which is not applied by evaporation from a solvent, which therefore pern.-s dispensing with the fabric face and the oil-proof cement above described, and which will have a long life so that it is not necessary to resurface the base, ,permitting economical replacement of the whole blanket when the life of the blanke-t is exhausted. y y

As the preferred material for carrying out my invention in its preferred form, I employ a. synthetic resin which is manufactured under the Byck Patent No. 1,590,079, which is sold as fiexible bakelite B. V. 1413 made by navales a potentially reactive phenol condensation ,product including 1n its composition an oil which is claimed to be chemically combinedi I with the reactive resin-forming ingredients of the substance, which is capable of reaction, as by baking, to form a final reaction product having the characteristics of insolubility in organic solvents, oils and acids, which is water proof, and which is 'oil proof, and which I' have discovered is also ink-repellent and non-offsetting in surface characteristics. It is flexible and in a' thin coating is resilient, yet tough and hard to meet the purpose ofa coating for printers blankets. kI have also discovered that emollients, pigments, fillers, etc., may be incorporated into the reactive composition to be included within the final solid product to alter the physical characteristics in desired' directions. I have also learned that. certain solvents may be employed for the reactive composition which alter the fiuidity or viscosity of the mass lwhich is utilized for applying it, and for incorporating modifying agents withvit, and

that the solvents cease to exert a solvent ac-` tion when t-he substange is reacted into its final insoluble form.

I do not intend to limit myself to the use of the particular product of the Byck patent, but aim to include other substances for forming synthetic resins, which may be dissolved and/or modified and then react-ed in situ to vform a new flexible composition. Substances such as the resins made by reacting glycerine and phthalic anhydride may be used as a base. Howeven'the final reaction product of this class of resins is not insoluble in all solvents, and therefore I do not consider it preferred to the phenol-condensation resin specified. Nor do I limit the invention to the use of the insoluble type of phenolic con densation product. It is well known that these resins may be formed with different degrees of solubility. For example, phenol and aldehydes may be condensed to form a resin. W'hen the reactive phenolic constituent is in excess of the cooperating reactive more of the cooperative ingredient, until the final productis insoluble' and infusible. The reacting substances may be present together and be un-reacted, and yet have a resin character. Such resinsv are capable of internal change by reaction under heat to form a different resin, and when fully reacted are called finally reacted resins. The present invention aims to use products reacted in situ as the composition which is new in the art. and preferably those which are finally reacted. and therefore stabilized. However, if further change toward stability does not materially alter the product to render it non-effective for its required purposes thequestion of stability need not be considered.

The resin-forming substance which I employ in the preferred form of my invention; preferably withA suitable solvent and modi-v fying agents may be used as a cement for securing fabric layers together, or for impregnating substances, such as textile fibers, or

'for coating materials or`com`positions, such as rubber faces, rubber impregnated fabrics, cork compositions or felt surfaces. The invention applies to bodies made wholly or partially of rubber, so that a rubber surface which, when in use, is exposed to the action of a substance injurious to rubber, must be protected against such substance. It will be noted that condensation products are generally referred to in the art as resinous7 products and these products are utilized for protectingthe rubber surface.` By provid-- ing a very viscous mass .of the reacting substance, accomplished by control of the nature and amount of solvent, or by admixture ot' fillers such as aluminium stearate, the reactive mass may be applied to porous materials such as-felt, or woolen or cotton fabric, in such a way as to minimize the impregnation of the fabric or material and to form a coating thereon'vvhich is attached to the substance withoutimpregnating it deeply or appreciably. Nonporous substances, like a rubber surface may be coated with the composition by using ay solvent which may penetrate or partially dissolve the rubber, thereby securing a nonpeeling coating on the rubber, or other substance.

4The reactive composition may be applied to materials in which a rubber compound is also present, and the product be subjected to heat to simultaneously effect vulcanization of the rubber and reaction of the composition to form a resin. Since rubber may be vulcanized at a temperature which, is Isuitable for reacting the resin-forming substance, and since the resin-forming substance may be rcacted at a temperature which Will eHect vulcanization, andl since neither substance is de! stroyed during a suitable heat treatment of the other, various methods may be employed lfor using the resin substance and rubber in the same structure, with one heat treatment or with two or more heat treatments.

i In the accompanying drawings there are shown a. variety of combinations of structure that are suitable for printers blankets using the composition herein described in various ways. In the drawingsv Fig. Lillustrates a rubber coated felt with an improved surface coating. to provide a printeris blanket.

Fig. 2 lrepresents a felt body with a surface coating.

Fig. 3 vrepresents a coating containinga filler in quantity to produce a rough coating.'

Fig. 4 represents a coating having particles inlaid in the'surface.

Fig. 5 represents a printers blanket comprising' a cushion or base fabric facing cemented thereto. 1

Fig. 6 represents the structure of' Fig. o withan additional surface coating;

Fig. 7 represents a cushion with a composition coating having a fabric at the exposed surface thereof.` j

Fig. 8 represents thc structure of' Fig. 7 with an additional coating.

Fig. 9 illustrates a compound cushion material comprising resilient particles bonded with material which provides a. suitable surface for a printers blanket.

, 'In order to explain the invention.. I have chosen to illustrate it by dcscril'iingjhow it may becarried out With a synthetic resin of lthe phenolic condensation type, and have.

chosen specifically the product known and identified in the t adcas B. V. 1413'. a forni of bakelite above referred to.' I have chosen this material as an illustration because it. is obtainable on the market in a forni suitable for use without modification, and also suitable for modification to vary and control the physical character of the resulting product. It is to be understood that other resins are available besides B. V. 1413 which are potentially reactive to form upon reaction a flexible coating, consequently I do not intend to be limited by this description to the specific material disclosed. It is also to be understood that those forms of resins which are not inherently flexible when reacted may be modified by incorporating in the unreacted mass a quantity of emollient, such as castor oil. neats-foot oil, petroleum jelly. corn oil, and the like.. and reacting the material to include the emollient. If the emollients are not soluble in the potentially reactive mass.l a common solvent for the singleor mixed emollients and the reactive substance may be employed. or the ingredients may be homogenized by emul sification. It is to be understood that in the exemplary disclosure, B. V. 1413 varnish is selected because it is readily available on the market, and is soluble in solvents to produce homogeneous mixtures with emollients, and particularly because it possesses the desirable properties for producing the coating directly without modification. Another reason for selecting this material as a specific example is that it contains a solvent and is soluble in solvents containing benzol, which is also a ffii.)

solvent for. rubber. This permits the material is unvulcanized, and it vpermits simultaneous vulcanlzation and resin formatlon. v

I havecoated the rubber surface olf a rubcrack lWith the greatestbending of the sheet to which it may be subjected, the test being much more severe than the conditions encountered in actual practice. The coating is tough and resists tension under which it is placed when the surface is bent backward. In Fig. 1, indicates a felt body, 11 indicates a rubber layer` spread or calendered thereon, and 12 indicates the resin coating.

The raw B. V. 1413 contains a solvent Which evaporates on exposure causing the residue to thicken or get more viscous. Its power of penetration is thus decreased. The ravv material may be permitted to lose solvent by evaporation so that Where the base to be coated has a tendency to absorb, the absorption may be controlled by the amount and character of the solvent present. For example, in coating the fibrous surface of a felt body, I

have found that penetration may be minimized by letting the solvent evaporate andy then spreading the thickened coating on the felt With a knife blade. Baking for one hour at 145 C. is sufficient Without damage -to the felt. It is to be recognized that as the solvent in the varnish is decreased the coating has less tendency to spread or smooth out as it undergoes the heating treatment. The sample felt coated as above described may therefore present a rougher surface' vthan when a more dilute varnish is employed. The surface character of the felt also tends to make it rougher. This is desirable as it effects a good frictional grip on paper passing over it in use. If it is desired to have a smooth coating, a second layer of varnish may be ap plied using more solvent than in the first, which solvent may be more or less than that contained in the raw commercial varnish. If desired metallic dust, such as bronze or aluminum powder may be incorporated in the second coating to give the final coat a metallic appearance. Aluminum makes it appear silvery. The second coating may be baked for one hour at 145 C. Without in any Way injuring the first baked coating or the felt. In Fig. 2 13 represents afelt body covered With the first thickened layer of varnish and baked to form a layer indicated at 14. The dotted line 15 indicates the line of division between the first coat 14 and a second coat 16,-and

the particles 17 indicate metal or other filler, such as aluminum powder.

It is not necessary to evaporate the solvent from the raw material to prevent penetration. I may add material to the raw varnish which will effect a thickening of the mass to be applied. For example, there may be an addition of aluminum stearate to thicken it, and the amount is to be determined by the result desired, as to penetration, and as to the character of surface which results.' Just as they evaporated raw varnish may produce a rough surface, the addition of sueient material, such as aluminum stearate, may effect lthe same result. However, it is to be noted that by adding the aluminum stearate, the .base substance of the coating is diluted, and the properties may be somewhat different than in the article described with reference to the first coat of Fig. 2.

In coating rubber, it i.' desirable that the surface be'well cleaned so that even adherence of the varnish is obtained. Sponging With any solvent, such as benzol, is a satisfactory Way of cleaning the rubber surface. I have coated rubber surfaces, such asa rubber coated fabric, with a number of modified forms of the raw varnish, and in order to illustrate the character of change which may be effected by'adding other materials, such as miscible emollients, a number of examples' will be given. Both the quantity, and the selection of individual or mixed addition agents should be considered, as the character of the product may be thus varied.

As emollients, I have used castor oil, neatsfoot oil and petroleum jelly. Castor oil gives the surface a tacky feel in the proportions in which I have usedfit. A certain degree of this may be desired in order to prevent slipping'of paper over the surface. Y Neats-foot oil appears to be the best. Petroleum jelly makes the surface feel oily.

Castor oil to the extent of 15% with 85% ravv B. V. 1413 forms a tacky surface, and as the quantity of oil is decreased the tackiness also decreases. creased to as high as 25% of the mixture the surface is extremely tacky and sticky.

Neats-foot oil at a concentration of 15% in the mixture is very satisfactory. The product is not oily, tacky or sticky. The oil renders the coating softer and less polished than when the raw varnish alone is used. The coating retains its oilproof character and its non-offsetting properties. When 25% neats-foot oil is used the desirable' properties are retained, but the surface has an oily feel, but not so much so as to prevent the blanket from being used for the desired purpose.

Petroleum jelly at a concentration of 15% in the mixture is more oily than a corresponding proportion of neats-foot oil.

Solid ingredients, such as the metal pow; der already mentioned, may be added for When the castoroil is incertain purposes. For example in Fig. 3, the coating 18 has particles 19 which may impart to the surface a rough contour, shown in exaggerated form in the drawing. The coating is shown covering all the particles, so that the surface is homogeneous in character. F rictional properties may be imparted to the coating by this method. The particles may be solid and unyielding, such as the metal powder, and they may be yielding particles such as rubber or corkincorporab ed into the mix.

Fig. 4 shows a surface produced byfsprinf kling solid particles 21 such as metal powder,

or carborundum dust, on the unformed coat.

ing 20 either prior to or during baking so that the formed coating anchors them in place to provide a rough surface, which is nonhomogeneous in character. Such a surface may be off-setting or non-offsetting, depending to some extent upon the character of the surface -provided by the imbedded material.

' If it is a metal surface it may be non-offthe mass or varnish with a solvent. It may therefore be used to impregnate a fabric sheet which can be baked, to provide an oilproof layer anywhere `in a blanket structure. Such an impregnatedy sheet may be cemented to a cork base, a rubber base or a felt base, by any'suitable cement, such as rubber cement. In Fig. 5 there is shown a resilient body portion 22, such as a cushion of cork, rubber, or felt, as used in the art, ontoiwhich is cemented by cement 23, a fabric sheet 24C,

which may be thin muslin, previously impregnated and baked to form resin 25. The muslin of the fabric layer, being protected by the impregnating resin, provides a resin surface of the desired properties, which surface may be rough and conform somewhat Ato the weave of the fabric employed. Fig. 6 shows the same structure as Fig. 5, having cushion 26, cement 27, impregnated fabric p 28, and an additional quantity or coating of resin that is baked in situ.

Consequently,

the coatin material 32 is adherent directly varnish and baked. The-fabric may then be l impregnated and while wet baked onto the coated cushion. Or the fabric may be first impregnated and baked, and the varnish be used as the cement to attach the impregnated fabric to the cushion. impregnated with the varnish, and the cushion coated with the varnish, the two placed in contact and then baked.

Fig. 8 represents the product of Fig. 7 with an additional layer of coating over the impregnated fabric surface lt may be described as a product comprising a cushion 33, and a coating 34 of resin, between the faces of which there is imbedded in the coating layer a fabric 35.

Blankets comprising. comminuted cork and a binder are known to the art, and these are used without a coating. It is also known to prove with a nitrocellulose coating. The composition of the present invention may be used with advantage as a coating for such composition directly, or with fabric or filler as previously described. The material may also be made to serve as a binder for the cork particles, so that the surface which it presents has the desired surface characteristic without a distinct coating beingA applied.' In Fig. 9 I show a blanket in which resin varnish is used as a binder for resilient particles, such as comminuted cork, or rubber. The mass is made, so that the body of the product is essentially comprised of the resilient particles, and the resin is merely the binder. .A plastic mass is formed and is spread upon one or both sides of a sheet of sustaining fabric and baked, forming for example, the blanket having the sustaining fabric 36, the separated particles 37, and the binder and surface-forming resin 38.

The present invention provides for the construction of a variety of blankets in various modified forms, illustrating specifically a substance which is oil-proof and ink-repellent, which is tough, which may be smooth and quite transparent, which may be easily colored by adding pigments or dyes,or metal powders, which is soluble in a preformed state in which it is used and applied, and which may be modified in'such state to produce a variety of different properties or degrees of the same property. The invention therefore provides for compounding a material in a preformed state, which may be used as a surface varnish, as a cement, as an impregnating agent, or as a bond, and which may then be reacted in situ, to form a flexible product having qualities desired in a printers blanket. Y

A printers blanket must be pliable in order The fabric may be sion roller.

to enable it to be bent around the impres- It must likewise be stretchable because the blanket is tightly stretched around the impression roller, Hence, when the protective surface portion is applied directly to a rubber face, as shown in Fig. l herein, said protective surface portion must be pliable and it must also be stretchableto a certain extent.` Otherwise, the protective layer would peel o" leaving the rubber layer unprotected.. Hence, the invention is not to be restricted to printers blankets, although it is particularly applicable for this purpose, but it also extends to other articles in which rubber must be protected against substances which tend to shorten the life of the rubber.

It will be noted that the rubber layer shown in Fig. l is necessarily soft and compressible.

rlhe phrase in situ means that the protective material is transformed into its final state whilev it is in Contact with the base to be protected.` However, the invention, in its broader aspects, is not to be limited to the embodiment shown in Fig. l, in which a pure condensation product is used as the surface layer of the article, and said surface layer is formed from a specific type. of bakeliteproduct. The invention covers an article in which the outer 'portion of the article includes the protective material, and said outer portion need not necessarily form the directly exposed outer surface portion of the article, as shown in Fig. 4, for example.

l. A. printers blanket comprising a base having an outer protective portion which includes a resinous phenol-condensation product, said condensation product being ink repellent.

2. As a new and useful article of manufacture, a body of pliable and stretchable rubbersurfaced material, said rubber surface being subjected to the influence of a substance injurious to the rubber when the article is in use, said surface having a flexible lprotective layer which includes a resinous phenolcondensation product resistant to said yfirst mentioned substance.

3. A method of protecting the rubber surface of a pliable and stretchable rubber-surfaced body against a substance injurious to the rubber, which consists in forming on said -rubber surface a yieldable layer which includes a resinous condensation product which can protect said surface against said substance, said product having been hardened and having been transformed into the protective condition byehemical reaction in situ.

4. X printers blanket comprising a base havin an outer ink-repellent portion which inclu' es a resinous substance, said resinous substance having been hardened and transformed into ink-repellent condition by chemical reaction in situ.

5. A printers blanket comprising a base having an outer ink-repellent portion which includes a resinous condensation product admixed with a substance adaptedto increase the flexibility of said resinous product, said resinous product having been hardened and transformed into ink-repellent vcondition by chemical reaction in situ.

6. As a new and useful article of manufacture, a body of pliable and stretchable rubber surfaced material, the rubber surface being subjected to the influence of a substance injurious to the rubber when the article is in use, said surface having a flexible layer which includes protective resinous material resistant to said substance, said protective resinous material having been hard` eaed and having been transformed into the protective condition by chemical reaction in situ.`

. 7. A method of protecting the rubber surface of a pliable and stretcha-ble rubber-sur faced body against a substance injurious to the rubber, which consists in forming on .said surface by means of'a heat reaction, a

yieldable resinous protective layer which is transformed by said heat reaction into final and protective form.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed by signature.

FENNO E. VRIES. 

